Review of Barton Fink (1991) by Tim M — 18 Nov 2016

Barton Fink is a unique and highly unpredictable film about a successful playwright who moves to Hollywood to begin writing screenplays and spends weeks suffering in his own private hell: writer's block.

Barton checks into a hotel for a little privacy, and finds that he is frequently distracted by flies buzzing around his room, the constant peeling wallpaper, and most importantly: an extremely loud neighbour who can't seem to leave him alone.

This is one of the Coen Brothers' more underrated films that sadly doesn't get talked about enough, and without spoiling anything, this film goes to some dark places in very unexpected ways with multiple ways to interpret the events that take place.

The film stars Coen regulars such as John Turturro, John Goodman, and Steve Buscemi; with Turturro and Goodman giving stellar performances as Barton and the neighbour respectively. Their interactions begin innocent-enough; Barton fascinated by his blue-collar tales of being a traveling insurance salesman, but things take a sharp turn when we realize that Goodman's character is not who he says he is.

This film is filled to the brim with visual and metaphorical symbolism, with an ending that still divides critics as to the true meaning. It's very difficult to discuss this film without spoiling the experience, so I will simply end by recommending this film highly for Coen Brothers completionists and for fans of the principle actors' work!